Orient v Spurs OPTA preview

Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs) Football Club is located in North London. The club is also known as Spurs. Tottenham's home ground is White Hart Lane. The club motto is Audere est Facere (To dare is to do).

Leyton Orient

FA Cup 3rd Round

Brisbane Road

Saturday 6th January, 2001

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham make the short trip to Brisbane Road for a tricky FA Cup tie with near neighbours Leyton Orient. George Graham's team have yet to win away from home this season and will find it tough against a side gunning for promotion in Division Three.

The O's are a formidable force at home, scoring an average of 2.22 goals per game in an unbeaten run that stretches back nine months. While in contrast Spurs have only mustered 0.73 goals on average away from their comfortable surroundings of White Hart Lane.

The last time these two sides met was in the old Milk Cup over 15 years ago when the O's won 2-0 in a shock result, but fortunately for the north Londoners it was a two legged affair and Spurs managed to triumph 4-0 in the return encounter at White Hart Lane.

Graham's team will have to roll the sleeves up and get physical on a bumpy Brisbane Road surface if they want to progress. The north Londoners have the third-lowest tackle success rate in the Premiership - only Middlesbrough and West Ham have won a lower proportion of their attempted challenges.

Saturday's match gives a perfect opportunity for O's teenage defender Simon Downer to shine. Spurs were rumoured to be interested in snapping up the talented centre-back after a series of impressive performances last season. But after a mini-slump in form this term Downer will hope to boost his reputation against £17m worth of attacking talent in Sergei Rebrov and Les Ferdinand.

Another player eager to impress will be Orient's recent signing Scott Houghton. The skilful winger who grabbed the winner in the last round against Northwich Victoria, began his career with Spurs but after failing to establish himself at White Hart Lane has been forced to ply his trade in the lower leagues for several years. He will look forward to meeting up with old friends such as Sol Campbell and Ian Walker.

Houghton will look forward to putting one over his old team but when the year ends in one Spurs' usually have a good cup run. So bearing that in mind, Opta predict that the best result that the O's will manage on Saturday is draw.

This potential outcome is available at 11/4, and that result would please chairman Barry Hearn, and help his troops earn a money-spinning replay to boost the club coffers.

Benji Romaner

TEAM NEWS

Former Spurs player, Scott Houghton, is set to play against his old club, with leading scorer, Carl Griffiths, ready for battle. Spurs' youngster, Gary Doherty, should keep his place, but whether that is in defence or attack remains to be seen.